Knaak works on more graphic novels for Blizzard
by Mike Schramm 
May 5th 2008 at 5:00PM
I don't think this is new news (though Blizzplanet has a note about it at the New York Comic Con a week or so ago, so maybe it came from there), but Richard Knaak is apparently working on a new World of Warcraft manga comic, called The Dragons of Outland. While Amazon still has the release date at June 17th, the date given for release at NY Comic Con is Fall 2009 (though that may be for Volume 2). Apparently the book will feature Jorad Mace, a Paladin who can be seen in Netherstorm right now, will touch on Malygos' insanity (which we may see firsthand in Wrath), and it will also be the continuation of the Netherwing quests storyline (which some fans aren't really excited to see in Knaak's hands).It does sound interesting, though, and it might be fun to see something in the books that's a result of player actions. In other WoW graphic novel news, there is another book planned as well, called Warcraft: Legends, that will have two stories in it. One will be called "Fallen," about a Tauren Hunter who's been featured before in The Sunwell Trilogy, and another story called "How to Win Friends and Influence People," written by Dan Jolley about a Gnome of some kind (who knew they were important enough to write about?).
Legends is due a little sooner than Dragons of Outland -- Blizzplanet says it's expected in August of this year. So WoW graphic novel fans have a lot to look forward to.
Filed under: Gnomes, Tauren, Blizzard, The Burning Crusade, Lore, NPCs, Comics
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Tridus May 5th 2008 5:08PM
They should have gotten someone else to do these, the Sunwell Trilogy really was decidely meh, at best.
Stoneblade May 5th 2008 5:19PM
Listen... You hear that ominous rumbling coming this way?
It ain't thunder.
It's the oncoming footsteps of a stampede of new Mary Sues.
Dunwich May 5th 2008 5:28PM
I still say he should be banned from writing by international law.
He's a bad, bad author.
Brian May 5th 2008 5:35PM
What gets me about all these so called fan's opinions is that they seem to have a very odd way of measuring 'good' writing. My take on the whole of the novels/manga/comic book mill coming out of Blizzard is that they have a very very good idea of what they want to do before hand. For example I expect with the Sunwell Blizzard knew they wanted Aveena and Kaelcgos to be at a 'neutral' Sunwell at the end of the story. Other than that I doubt they were that fussed about how they got there. The same with the comic. I doubt an outsider would come in wanting to answer the question about the missing King of Stormwind. I fully expect they were fed that idea. I also think getting in the arenas at the start was also carefully planned. With the novels their content has been a little too close to game content to be coincidence.
As for the quality of writing or lack of or whatever. Blizzard aren't trying to appeal only to bookish nerds. They are tryign to appeal to as broad a fan-base as possible. So no the comic isn't going to be a gritty independent title that sells very few issues. It's going to be a gentle open story that is accesssable by young players. Comics are aimed at kids who are in their early teens. The same kids who Marvel and DC aim their comics at.
Blizzard would find it very hard to compete with high fantasy of Tolkien's style (there's little point trying) or going for a more gritty style (Games Workshop have lots of grim stuff out there). So they go their own way which isn't amazingly high brow.
When I look back at some of the biggest fan franchises 3 Sci Fi ones occur to me - Star Wars, Star Trek and Dr Who. All of these have a huge fan base but none of them are very complicated or highbrow. Hell if you take the Greek Myths or Shakespeare and get down to the actual content they are about as subtle as a brick. As for The Lord of the Rings - well Hollywood butchered that book to the lowest common denominator too.
Warcraft isn't high literature. If you think Blizzard will ever produce this kind of fiction then give up now. I like their books for what they are; a gentle bit of pulp fiction about a world that I like to have fun in. After all when I am game I'm collecting raptor's heads or committing genocide, I'm not writing a sonnet for Lady Jaina or a treatise on tactical siege weapons for Thrall. I'm a big furry killing machine with big horns and a big axe.
WoW isn't subtle but it sure as hell is fun.
Fragment May 5th 2008 6:28PM
Bravo!
censorman May 6th 2008 8:47AM
Get an editor.
Knaak is a bad writer. He sucked when he wrote Dragonlance, he sucks now. Fan or not, guy sucks with words. (like you)
Brian May 6th 2008 11:50AM
Well I was looking at the fiction from the overall perspective not just one author so I take your point. However tastes differ, I can't stand reading a Stephen King book but I recognise he is a massively successful author. Likewise while I loved the first few Anne Rice Vampire books some of the latter ones were a bit turgid. One of my favourite authors has to be HP Lovecraft whose writing has influenced a fair bit of WoW but his style isn't exactly accessible.
I am a long term fan of Comics form the often brilliant 2000AD here in the UK to Marvel Comics in the US especially the X Men so I have read a massive amount of comic books in my time and some of them have been real dross the Sunwell Trilogy and the Monthly book are straight forward middle of the road which I think is exactly what Blizzard wanted.
On the subject of particular author's in the WoW sphere I have enjoyed Christie Golden's books. The one thing that puzzles me right now is why they haven't released audio versions as I'd much rather hear the book while I am playing.
hootie2t May 5th 2008 6:28PM
My problem with Knaak isn't that he is bad.
It's that it is blah. I feel no desire to cheer for the characters. And I really WANTED to cheer for them.
darian May 5th 2008 7:10PM
I look at those books the same way I look at the Silmarillion. The entire point of the books is to simply set the stage/history for what we're really interested in.
Baluki May 5th 2008 10:27PM
Well, I can see who has read just the Sunwell Trilogy, and who has read the rest of Knaak's WC books.
The Sunwell Trilogy was, in my opinion, decent. There were some interesting characters, and some potential in the story, but it fell short.
However, the Day of the Dragon and the Well of Eternity trilogy were great. And he's got another on the way, called Night of the Dragon. I can't wait.
So far, the evidence suggests that Knaak should stick to novels. And so should Blizzard.
Thijz May 6th 2008 3:07AM
I agree, I'm reading Day of the Dragon now and I love it. I'm Dutch, and not used to English literature so I don't really have any comparing-material though...
Khanmora May 6th 2008 8:58AM
Even the novels are only ok, I thought Christie Golden was a much more compelling author.
Leviathon May 5th 2008 10:32PM
The touching on Malygos' insanity is a bit wrong. Malygos is becoming SANE and thats why he declares war on magic users.